"Oh no, Naruto-kun."
Hinata, already a bit flustered from learning such a profound Taijutsu, was embraced by Naruto, causing her entire face to turn red like a boiling teapot, even emitting steam.
Thump—
The next second, Hinata's eyes swirled like mosquito coils, and she collapsed to the ground.
"Eh! Hinata! What's wrong with you?!" Naruto, standing beside her, was startled by Hinata's sudden collapse.
He quickly helped her up and asked Shinji, "Sensei, what happened to Hinata?"
Shinji sighed, rubbing his forehead. Hinata hadn't fainted in a while. He had thought she was used to it, but he didn't expect her to faint with just one touch.
"It's alright, Naruto. Hinata is fine, she just fainted." Shinji said.
Then, he turned to Ino and said, "Ino, help Hinata to rest by the side for a bit."
Ino, who was busy watching the drama, nodded upon hearing this. She walked over and, with a chuckle, helped Hinata to rest under a nearby tree.
"Don't worry, Naruto, Hinata is fine." She said, reassuring Naruto.
"Alright, you all saw Hinata using it just now. What are your thoughts?"
Shinji clapped his hands and asked the remaining male disciples in the training ground.
"So strong!"
"Super cool!"
Sasuke and Naruto both answered directly, while Shikamaru and Choji nodded in agreement. After all, when they were getting beaten before, they hadn't even touched Shinji's clothes. Although Shinji was dodging during Hinata's practical demonstration, the power she unleashed was significant.
"Sensei, will the Chakra membrane's sticky sensation be noticeable?"
Shikamaru was a bit worried about this technique, as it had almost the same effect as the Hyuga's Byakugan.
If the Hyuga clan found out, it might even reach the Hokage.
Shinji was only a Chunin, after all, and even as the Hiruzen's disciple, Shikamaru was still a bit concerned about the Hyuga clan causing trouble. After all, the Byakugan was their foundation for survival.
To maintain the purity of their bloodline, they even came up with the Main Family and Branch Family system.
Now, with a Taijutsu that rivals their Byakugan, wouldn't they be even more furious?
"Don't worry, Hinata won't say anything." Shinji said indifferently. "Besides, they wouldn't dare."
There were Byakugan users outside of the Hyuga clan, would they dare to cause trouble in Kirigakure?
In the Ninja World, strength was everything.
When Shinji wished to reveal it, the Hyuga clan would be insignificant to him.
"Sensei, please rest assured, we will also be careful." Shikamaru nodded.
Since his teacher had said so, he wouldn't dwell on it. As long as they practiced here and didn't expose it, everything would be fine.
"Alright, if you want to reach Hinata's level, you still have a long way to go." Shinji said with a smile.
Hinata's progress was faster because she was already on the path of Chakra Taijutsu. Therefore, compared to Ninjutsu-type practitioners like Naruto and Shikamaru, she was naturally much quicker.
"Sensei! I'll work hard as fast as I can too!" Naruto patted his chest, promising Shinji.
"Good, keep training hard, and you can also use it." Shinji nodded in response.
Progress in Taijutsu required daily practice to succeed. It wasn't as easy as Ninjutsu, as Ninjutsu could sometimes be mastered with a bit of trickery.
However, with Hinata's breakthrough, Shinji believed the others would also speed up their progress.
—
At the Academy, Shinji was teaching as usual.
Recently, he had divided the students in his class into two groups.
The first group, excelling in all aspects, continued with their theoretical lessons as usual. However, they had to separate for physical training classes and similar subjects.
Healthy competition fostered growth.
The first group always faced the risk of falling out of their position, while the second group could join the first group once their grades met the standard.
"There are only a few days left until the group performance competition." Before class ended, Shinji once again motivated the students.
After all, if they were to fall out of the group, at their current age, they would likely feel very ashamed.
The second group, on the other hand, was eagerly anticipating it, as advancing would allow them to speak with more confidence.
Among them, Kiba was the most enthusiastic, as he was in the second group. He used to complain about Sasuke with Naruto, but now he aimed for Naruto and Sasuke. He vowed to turn the tables and sing his own praises.
After Shinji finished speaking, he dismissed the class. The grading rewards included a B-rank Lightning Release Ninjutsu.
Not bad.
Shinji was very satisfied. The accumulation of these rewards would eventually turn to his strength.
It was just that his Chakra volume had been increasing a bit slowly recently, so he would have to see if he could get Chakra rewards from Naruto later. As long as he had Chakra, he could unleash his full power.
—
"Hah!"
On the training ground, Naruto held his breath, the Chakra coating on his fist synchronized with his breathing rhythm, then he threw a punch.
Bang!
A clear, one-centimeter-deep fist print was left on the stone.
"Yay!"
"Sensei! I succeeded!"
The second stage of the 'Shield Breaking Trial' was to leave a fist print on a large stone.
"Not bad, Naruto. Are the movements I taught you usually fluid?" Shinji walked over, nodded, and then asked Naruto.
"I practice them all, sensei." Naruto quickly nodded and replied.
"Good, then let's spar, and remember to master the breathing technique." Shinji finished speaking and immediately assumed his starting stance, facing Naruto.
His arms were crossed, protecting his centerline, and a vibrant blue Chakra membrane shimmered around him.
Naruto also took the same stance, with a similar aura appearing around him.
Shinji nodded.
Not bad. Although he hadn't achieved the same muscle resonance as Hinata, he wasn't far off.
Then, Shinji, following his sparring with Hinata, gradually pointed out Naruto's shortcomings. He also helped Naruto familiarize himself with the techniques he had taught him. As Shinji steadily increased the pressure, Naruto's movements became more fluid.
After retreating again, Shinji called out to Naruto, "Naruto, try to use the Third Form, 'Mountain Breaker'."
"Yes, sensei."
Naruto nodded, then began to use the breathing technique to forcefully open all the Chakra nodes in his body.
Instantly, the Chakra membrane expanded to encompass his entire body. Naruto carefully sensed the changes at this moment.
"So strong!"
Shinji nodded. "Good, this is the Flawless State, which enhances your physical perception, allowing you to predict."
The Flawless State was the prelude to the ultimate technique, the Egoless State.
"Alright, Naruto, now try to use Eternal Fist to strike me from a distance."
"Yes."
Naruto refocused his mind, drew his fist to his waist, and then unleashed a punch.
In an instant, the Chakra on his fist burst outwards, forming a shockwave that surged towards Shinji.